Histology Complete -SecondLook

Functionality & Mechanism

This self-assessment tool, developed at the University of Michigan, is designed for histology and microanatomy education. The application utilizes a series of high-quality micrographs from the university's virtual slide collection, covering all major human tissues and organ systems. The interface presents users with images followed by a structured series of questions, facilitating a rapid review process designed to identify knowledge gaps in histological structure recognition and analysis.

Development & Context

• The news coverage notes the tool originated as PowerPoint files created by a professor to address reduced in-classroom time for anatomical sciences.
• It was explicitly designed to help students identify gaps in their knowledge rather than serve as a simple list of test questions.
• The project was awarded the university's Provost's Teaching Innovation Prize in 2013 for its approach to student-led learning.
• The full series of SecondLook apps has been downloaded over 49,000 times in more than 180 countries.

Intended Use & Scope

This application is intended for medical, dental, and other health science students as a supplemental self-assessment resource for histology coursework. Its primary function is to support knowledge review outside of formal instruction. The information presented regarding its development and adoption is based on news coverage, not peer-reviewed efficacy studies.